THE United States told its citizens last night “do not travel” to China, raising its advisory status to the highest level of alert because of the coronavirus epidemic.

In issuing a level four warning – up from urging Americans to “reconsider” travel to China – the State Department said it was acting after the World Health Organisation declared the epidemic, which originated in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, an international emergency.

In an updated travel advisory, the department said any Americans in China now “should consider departing using commercial means”.

It recalled that last week it had ordered the departure of all non-emergency US personnel and their family members from Wuhan.

“The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Hubei province,” the advisory said.

Meanwhile, Japan is advising its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to all of China over risks of the deadly outbreak, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today.

The move raises the travel warning for China to a level two on Japan’s four-point warning system, advising people to “avoid travel that is not urgent or is not necessary”.

Japan had already raised its travel alert for Hubei province where the outbreak began to a level three, warning against any travel to the region.

The top end of the scale advises against all travel and calls for immediate evacuation. – AFP, January 31, 2020.